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Cable Subs to Drop to 53.9M By 2018

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Pepe Sylvia 
#1 ·
Cable Subs to Drop to 53.9M By 2018

(PcC) - Despite recent improvements in stemming basic video losses, cable television companies are expected to lose nearly 1 million subscribers in the next five years, dipping to 53.9 million customers by 2018, down from 54.8 million in 2013, according to consulting giant PricewatwerhouseCoopers....

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#2 ·
Gotta love those long-range predictions.

They're on crack if they think that satellite hasn't pretty much topped out and they seem to have largely ignored the impact IPTV market on satellite. Even if cable TV subscribers give up on cable TV, they'll typically have to keep their broadband service.

If DIRECTV overtakes Comcast, it will be because Comcast loses more TV customers than DIRECTV does.

The $100/month ceiling has been breached and its mostly downhill from there.
 
#3 ·
I wonder about articles like this. In much of the country rural, and some suburban areas, people do not have decent access to broadband services.In rural areas, it is almost non-existent. In in a number of places, which they do have broadband, it is not stellar fats speed. Four years and the cable and satellite industry is doomed; I don't think so.

Of course, the US could embark on bringing broadband to each residence in the country. But, we cannot even pay for our existing infrastructure, let alone put all our citizens to work, so this may end up being done by private entities. See: http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/211911-att-agrees-to-purchase-directv-was-att-looking-to-buy-direct-tv/page-36#entry3261026
 
#4 ·
Keep the cable Internet, kill the cable TV. Cable subscription rates are already inflated by those who have a minimal TV subscription along with their cable Internet connection. Often it is cheaper to get Internet with locals only cable than Internet with no TV.

It has been years since I had cable Internet ... but after losing service due to weather a few times (with outages longer than a day) I decided to cut that cord. DSL is slower - but it is cheaper with no outages at my house. I'm considering a WISP to increase speed but have not made the jump.

IPTV needs a delivery system. Cable provides a delivery system for both TV channels and IPTV (whether through the cable provider or another source). Fiber provides the same. Both also allow for VOIP phone service (whether through the cable/fiber provider or another source). When you're relying on someone else for a delivery system it is easy for the provider of the delivery system to simply step in and make a better offer. But when your video company is offering a delivery system for other video providers it is easy to lose video customers.

Satellite has a delivery system that other providers cannot use. When one gets satellite you're not opening a pipeline for competing services. And satellite has managed to enter the IPTV world providing Internet streamed on demand content.

I believe the marketplace will find a level. Cable being so huge a few years ago will naturally drop. Fiber being new will naturally grow. Satellite may have reached their level - or at least a time of slow growth.
 
#5 ·
James Long said:
Keep the cable Internet, kill the cable TV. Cable subscription rates are already inflated by those who have a minimal TV subscription along with their cable Internet connection. Often it is cheaper to get Internet with locals only cable than Internet with no TV.
What's to stop them from raising the internet rates to compensate? The competition? !rolling
 
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